The programs supported by the Ivy Legacy Foundation’s Philly’s Men Are Cooking event are even better than the food.
By Denise Clay Murray
Photos by Richard Wah
For more than 30 years, the Rho Theta Omega chapter for Alpha Kappa Alpha has helped young women in the Delaware Valley through the IVY AKAdemy mentoring program.
The program, whose moniker stands for Instilling Vision In Youth, allows young women to learn more about future college and career opportunities, etiquette classes, and STEM programming.
One of the young women who has been a part of the IVY AKAdemy is Taylor Mathis. While she was a student in the School District of Philadelphia, Mathis was connected to the program.
Because of how she benefitted from it, it’s a program she’d recommend, Mathis said.
“It prepared me with life skills and showed me what college life had in store,” she said.
Funding programs like the IVY AKAdemy are the goal of “Philly’s Men Are Cooking 2.0: La Vie En Rose” this Saturday, Nov. 11, from 7pm-11pm. The event will be held at the LuLu Shriners Ballroom, located at 5140 Butler Pike in Plymouth Meeting.
Hosted by WDAS radio personality Patty Jackson, Philly’s Men Are Cooking will bring together 50 professional and amateur chefs to share their interpretations of nibbles including chicken and waffles, eggplant parmesan, and peach cobbler. There will also be cocktails and lots of entertainment in store for partygoers dressed in their best shades of pink, said Tracey McLaughlin, president of the Ivy Legacy Foundation, Rho Theta Omega’s non-profit arm.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the foundation decided to try and ease into bringing back the Philly’s Men Are Cooking event, McLaughlin said. Many of the chefs have participated in the program for more than 20 years, she said.
While Philly’s Men Are Cooking is a chance for people all over the Delaware Valley to get dressed up, indulge in some great food, and enjoy some great company, the programs, and scholarships it funds are the real stars of the show, McLaughlin said.
“Money raised from this one night will allow us to continue making a difference in the greater Philadelphia community through mentoring and scholarship opportunities,” she said. “To date, The Ivy Legacy Foundation has funded more than $500,000 in scholarships and community programs.”
In addition to IVY AKAdemy, these programs include the Venturing Into New Endeavors program, which provides mentoring to middle school students, the STEM2D program, a partnership with Johnson and Johnson that gives young women a chance to connect with the sciences, and Project AKA, a partnership with the Omicron Delta Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha that focuses on health.
Many of the young women who have participated in these programs or have received scholarships via the Ivy Legacy Foundation have paid things forward, McLaughlin said.
“We have had some students come back from college and speak at our Legacy of Excellence program,” she said.
Tickets for Philly’s Men Are Cooking are $100 and can be purchased via Eventbrite or on the Ivy Legacy Foundation’s website.
Philly’s Men Are Cooking is sponsored by Washington Consulting, My Philly Lawyer, Moody Jones Gallery, Parx Casino, The McLaughlin Family, Rose and Frank Richardson Jr., WSFS Bank, and Uncle Nearest.
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